MBJ Business Blog: Jackson law firm sues on behalf of Carnival Triumph passenger

The law offices of John Arthur Eaves filed a lawsuit today in Galveston, Texas, on behalf of a Texas woman who traveled aboard the Carnival Triumph.

In a released statement, Eaves says, “Texans who watched Carnival’s million-dollar ad campaign in Texas and bought their tickets in Texas and who boarded the ship in Texas deserve to have their case heard in Texas by a Texas judge.”

Carnival Triumph departed from the Port of Galveston before experiencing a fire on Feb. 10 off the coast of Mexico, leaving the vessel stranded at sea. The Carnival cruise ship was then towed to Mobile, Alabama, where it finally docked on Feb. 14.

According to the Jackson law firm, district court in Galveston ordered the seizing of the Triumph on March 29, 2012, based on Carnival Cruise Lines’ “lack of compliance to standards regarding on-board safety and procedures aimed at preserving the lives of passengers and crew.”

Eaves also represents passengers and family members of the January 2012, Costa Concordia tragedy. The Carnival-subsidiary owned vessel ran aground on the Italian coastline killing 32 passengers including two Americans.

“Once again, Carnival’s desire to increase profits at the risk of passenger safety has resulted in putting passengers at risk,” he said. “The same inadequate standards that caused the sinking of the Costa Concordia are the same problems on every Carnival cruise vessel. Carnival has had billion-dollar profits yet consistently cuts costs in hiring and training of its crew, in the discipline of its officers, in the design of its vessels and, as we know now, in the maintenance in its mechanical operations.”